Human WorldScience WireSpace

Watch NASA flying saucer test today

Artist's concept of test vehicle for NASA's Low-Density Supersonic Decelerator (LDSD), designed to test landing technologies for future Mars missions. Image via NASA/JPL-Caltech.
Artist’s concept of test vehicle for NASA’s Low-Density Supersonic Decelerator (LDSD), designed to test landing technologies for future Mars missions. Image via NASA/JPL-Caltech.

NASA plans to test its rocket-powered flying saucer – designed to demonstrate technologies that will come into play for delivering heavy payloads to Mars – today (June 4, 2015) from a test range in Hawaii. NASA Television and JPL’s Ustream channel both will carry live coverage of launch activities beginning at 7 a.m. HST, 1 p.m. EDT, 1700 UTC. Launch commentary begin 30 minutes prior to launch, which will occur no earlier than 7:30 a.m. HST.

Translate to your time zone here.

The saucer-shaped Low Density Supersonic Decelerator, or LDSD, will be carried aloft by a high altitude balloon from the Navy’s Pacific Missile Range Facility on Kauai, Hawaii.

NASA said in a June 3 statement of today’s test:

The balloon may take two to three hours to reach its float altitude of 120,000 feet. After the balloon reaches test altitude, the saucer-shaped LDSD test vehicle will be dropped and its powered flight will begin.

A fraction of a second after dropping from the balloon, and a few feet below it, four small rocket motors will fire up to spin stabilize the saucer.

Just over two seconds later, a Star 48B long-nozzle, solid-fueled rocket engine will kick in with 17,500 pounds of thrust, sending the test vehicle to the edge of the stratosphere, or about 180,000 feet, at a speed of Mach 4. Shortly after reaching solid rocket motor burn out, four additional small rocket motors will fire up to de-spin the saucer.

At about Mach 3, the test vehicle will deploy the supersonic inflatable aerodynamic decelerator (SIAD). The SIAD decelerates the vehicle to approximately Mach 2.4. The test vehicle will then deploy a large supersonic ringsail parachute, which will further slow the test vehicle to a controlled water impact landing about 40 minutes after being dropped from the balloon.

The LDSD crosscutting technology demonstration mission will test two breakthrough technologies that will enable larger payloads to be landed safely on the surface of Mars or other planetary bodies with atmospheres, including Earth.

A saucer-shaped test vehicle holding equipment for landing large payloads on Mars is shown in the Missile Assembly Building at the US Navy's Pacific Missile Range Facility in Kaua‘i, Hawaii. Image credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech
A saucer-shaped test vehicle holding equipment for landing large payloads on Mars is shown in the Missile Assembly Building at the US Navy’s Pacific Missile Range Facility in Kaua‘i, Hawaii. Image credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech

Bottom line: The saucer-shaped Low Density Supersonic Decelerator, or LDSD – – designed to demonstrate technologies that will come into play for delivering heavy payloads to Mars – will undergo a test today (June 4, 2015) from a test range in Hawaii. Watch online via NASA Television or JPL’s Ustream channel beginning at 7 a.m. HST, 1 p.m. EDT, 1700 UTC.

Posted 
June 4, 2015
 in 
Human World

Like what you read?
Subscribe and receive daily news delivered to your inbox.

Your email address will only be used for EarthSky content. Privacy Policy
Thank you! Your submission has been received!
Oops! Something went wrong while submitting the form.

More from 

Deborah Byrd

View All